Female dominance in captive gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus)

2001 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 181-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ute Radespiel ◽  
Elke Zimmermann
Keyword(s):  
Female Dominance ◽  
Microcebus Murinus ◽  
Mouse Lemurs

Molecular liver fingerprint reflects the seasonal physiology of the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus) during winter

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blandine Chazarin ◽  
Margaux Benhaim-Delarbre ◽  
Charlotte Brun ◽  
Aude Anzeraey ◽  
Fabrice Bertile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Glucose Intolerance ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Mouse Lemur ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Microcebus Murinus ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Pathological State ◽  
Fat Reserves ◽  
Mouse Lemurs

Grey mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus) are a primate species exhibiting strong physiological seasonality in response to environmental energetic constraint. They notably store large amounts of lipids during early winter (EW), which are thereafter mobilized during late winter (LW), when food availability is low. In addition, they develop glucose intolerance in LW only. To decipher how the hepatic mechanisms may support such metabolic flexibility, we analyzed the liver proteome of adult captive male mouse lemurs, which seasonal regulations of metabolism and reproduction are comparable to their wild counterparts, during the phases of either constitution or use of fat reserves. We highlight profound changes that reflect fat accretion in EW at the whole-body level, however, without triggering an ectopic storage of fat in the liver. Moreover, molecular regulations would be in line with the lowering of liver glucose utilization in LW, and thus with reduced tolerance to glucose. However, no major regulation was seen in insulin signaling/resistance pathways, which suggests that glucose intolerance does not reach a pathological stage. Finally, fat mobilization in LW appeared possibly linked to reactivation of the reproductive system and enhanced liver detoxification may reflect an anticipation to return to summer levels of food intake. Altogether, these results show that the physiology of mouse lemurs during winter relies on solid molecular foundations in liver processes to adapt fuel partitioning while avoiding reaching a pathological state despite large lipid fluxes. This work emphasizes how the mouse lemur is of primary interest for identifying molecular mechanisms relevant to biomedical field.

scholarly journals Survival is reduced when endogenous period deviates from 24 h in a non-human primate, supporting the circadian resonance theory

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara Hozer ◽  
Martine Perret ◽  
Samuel Pavard ◽  
Fabien Pifferi
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythms ◽  
Circadian Clock ◽  
Microcebus Murinus ◽  
Circadian Period ◽  
Biological Functions ◽  
Resonance Theory ◽  
Aging Research ◽  
Mouse Lemurs ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Human Primate

Abstract Circadian rhythms are ubiquitous attributes across living organisms and allow the coordination of internal biological functions with optimal phases of the environment, suggesting a significant adaptive advantage. The endogenous period called tau lies close to 24 h and is thought to be implicated in individuals’ fitness: according to the circadian resonance theory, fitness is reduced when tau gets far from 24 h. In this study, we measured the endogenous period of 142 mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus), and analyzed how it is related to their survival. We found different effects according to sex and season. No impact of tau on mortality was found in females. However, in males, the deviation of tau from 24 h substantially correlates with an increase in mortality, particularly during the inactive season (winter). These results, comparable to other observations in mice or drosophila, show that captive gray mouse lemurs enjoy better fitness when their circadian period closely matches the environmental periodicity. In addition to their deep implications in health and aging research, these results raise further ecological and evolutionary issues regarding the relationships between fitness and circadian clock.

The influence of familiarity, age, experience and female mate choice on pregnancies in captive grey mouse lemurs

Behaviour ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elke Zimmermann ◽  
Ute Radespiel
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Female Dominance ◽  
Age Classes ◽  
Female Age ◽  
Female Mate ◽  
Sexual Behaviours ◽  
Mouse Lemurs ◽  
Reduced Rate ◽  
Old Females

AbstractConceptions in mammals may depend on a variety of factors including mate familiarity, age, sociosexual experience and female mate choice. We tested predictions for the effects of these factors on pregnancies in a captive colony of grey mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus). The succession of oestrous cycles and pregnancies was analysed for a total of 26 different females that were housed together with 33 different males over a total of 124 oestrous cycles between 1995 and 2001. In addition, sexual behaviours were recorded and analysed over 13 oestrous cycles of 9 different females. An effect of mate familiarity on pregnancies could be detected by a frequent delay of pregnancies to the second cycle of the season (66.7% of the possible cases). Female age influenced pregnancies as the 2-3-year old females were less likely to become pregnant than females of other age classes. This reduced rate of pregnancies, however, was probably due to the lack of previous sociosexual experience with males. Females that have not been housed with males within their first reproductive season, needed one or two years of sociosexual experience before their first successful impregnation. These findings are discussed as a side effect of the ontogenetic development of female dominance. Female mate choice could be deduced from the succession of pregnancies and the strong responsibility of the females for the termination of matings.

Shades of gray mouse lemurs: Ontogeny of female dominance and dominance-related behaviors in a nocturnal primate

2015 ◽  
Vol 77 (11) ◽  
pp. 1158-1169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Hohenbrink ◽  
Maren Koberstein-Schwarz ◽  
Elke Zimmermann ◽  
Ute Radespiel
Keyword(s):  
Female Dominance ◽  
Mouse Lemurs
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